Stories from Monday, December 24, 2007

ST. LOUIS -- The Internal Revenue Service is reminding taxpayers that there isn't much time left to take action that could affect their 2007 tax bills. Taxpayers should consider recent tax-law changes, such as new rules for charitable giving and provisions scheduled to expire at the end of this year...

When many people think about Christmas, they have visions of Christmas trees and presents. They imagine everyone with smiles on their faces because of the Christmas spirit. However, for some, life is quite the opposite. According to Wellness.com, an on-line Web site that is dedicated to helping people learn more about achieving health and happiness, domestic abuse increases during the holiday season...

Nearly 100 staff members, office personnel and administrators at Extrusions Inc. received an early holiday surprise Friday afternoon. With gift bag in hand, a familiar jolly old fellow, clad in a red and white suit and hat, strode from the back of the company's 180,000-square-foot aluminum extrusion plant saying in a hearty bellow, "Merry Christmas! Ho! Ho! Ho!"...

Don Russell, age 91, resident of rural Redfield, Kansas, died Thursday, Dec. 20, 2007, at Mercy Health Center. He was born Jan. 14, 1916 in Devon, Kansas, the son of Charlie H. Russell and Bertha Pearl Umphries Russell. Don married Eunice Stine on Jan. 14, 1949 in Fort Scott. He was a lifelong farmer/stockman of the Redfield area. He was a member of the Grace Baptist Tabernacle...

Jayden Allen West, a boy, was born at 10:21 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2007, at Mercy Health Center to Cynthia Thomas, Fort Scott. He weighed 6 pounds, 2 ounces at birth. She joins three siblings; Christina, Kylee and Jordan. Maternal grandparents are Harold and Jolene West...

Abigail Grace Lotterer, a girl, was born at 2:04 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 20, 2007, at Mercy Health Center to parents Alacia Marie Elliott, Bronson, and Jared Wayne Lotterer, Fort Scott. She weighed 7.5 pounds at birth. Maternal grandparents are Curtis and Kathy Elliott, Bronson. Paternal grandparents are Carolyn Lotterer, Fort Scott, and Jeff Lotterer, Pittsburg...

Payton Vogelbacher spent the weekend with her grandparents Charles and Paula Brewer. The 4-H club presented a Christmas program of music and reading at the Fire Station Wednesday evening, Dec. 12. Thursday Dec. 13, the ladies of the church served lunch at the church for the family of Goldie Koppa...

100 YEARS AGO (1907) The boarders at Mrs. Ament's Boarding House held a social last evening. A Christmas tree was rigged and was laden with some pretty things. The plan was to have every person purchase presents and when Santa arrived there were 169 presents under the tree. The evening was an enjoyable one indeed...

Christmas time brings excitement to people all over the world, who are wondering what the packages under the tree might contain. Many people can hardly contain their excitement about the gifts that they will receive, and some spend much time making predictions about what may lie in each colorful package. ...

A judge ordered that Kerri Cassett, accused of molesting a 12-year-old, to get a mental evaluation to determine if she's competent to stand trial. Cassett, 31, Fort Scott, was supposed to have a preliminary hearing Wednesday in Bourbon County Court. Instead, her defense attorney, Mark Fern, filed a motion asking for the court to determine her competency...